GULFSTREAM G500

• Passengers 14

The Gulfstream G500 is a clean-sheet replacement for the G450 and flies higher and faster than almost all current or known future competitors.

About this aircraft

• The new Gulfstream G500 was unveiled on the 14th of October 2014 and was first delivered on the 27th September 2018.
• It replaced the G450 and offered improved efficiency, runway performance, and passenger capacity.
• It is one of the most technologically-advanced long-range jets on the market.
• Some interior variations give it the ability to carry up to 19 passengers.
• Its impressive nonstop range of around 5,200nm connects city pairs such as Istanbul to Cape Town, Los Angeles to London, and San Francisco to Tokyo.

The Gulfstream G500 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW814GA PurePower turbofans and is able to travel 4,400 nautical miles (8,149 km) at Mach 0.90 and 5,200 nm (9,630 km) at Mach 0.86. The aircraft features the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck and offers the signature Gulfstream Cabin Experience. This means 14 panoramic windows, low cabin altitudes, a cabin designed to be the quietest in business aviation, high-speed connectivity and Gulfstream’s bespoke interior design tailored to each customer’s wishes.

The four circular arcs cross-section fuselage of the G500 has an external height of 8 feet 4 inches (2.54 m) and a width of 8 feet 5 inches (2.57 m) and is primarily composed of high-strength aluminium alloys with limited use of steel and titanium alloys. The horizontal stabilizer, fairings, main landing gear doors, rudder and elevators, radome, rear pressure bulkhead and winglets are composite materials. The semi-monocoque fuselage structure is made of stressed skin, frame and longeron.

The wing on the G500 is of supercritical design and has an identical sweep as that of the G650 at 36°. The similarity with the G650 doesn’t end there as the new tail design is also based on the aerodynamic shape and systems of that aircraft’s tail.

Interior design

The Gulfstream G500 cabin features up to three living areas and a comfortable six feet, four inches of headroom. Overall, the space is 41.5 feet long with an open layout that typically accommodates a total of 10 seats, a plush three-person sofa stacked with pillows, and a big TV on a credenza facing the aft dining area. Each of the wide, articulating leather seats is paired with a simple touchscreen interface that appears from the bulkhead after sliding aside a discreet panel and is used for controlling the lighting, temperature and the entertainment system. However, these control functions are duplicated on the Gulfstream Cabin Control app which passengers can use to link to the aircraft through their smart devices.

In the cabin, the standard Gulfstream G500 layout boasts a sizable galley and a sumptuous lavatory with polished black walls and marble around the sink. This is nothing revolutionary for Gulfstream but the completion centres and Gulfstream's in-house customization options are able to take the design and fit-out process to amazing new levels where even the type of wood a customer prefers can be matched with an airworthy counterpart. Specific leathers, textiles, flatware from any purveyor, can be sourced to match a customer’s choice.

Technological features

In the cockpit, the Gulfstream G500 is equipped with BAE Systems active sidesticks, the first civil aircraft to be so. These appear to be mechanically linked by being electrically back-driven. The Honeywell Symmetry Flight Deck features four portrait main displays and three touchscreens on the overhead panel instead of stand-alone switches. In the glareshield, there are four force-touchscreens complemented by left- and right-hand touch standby displays at each seat. The enhanced flight vision system is displayed through a 42×30° field-of-view head-up display. In the cabin, the Gulfstream Cabin Experience and the Gulfstream Cabin Control app enable the passengers to control and utilise their environment.

History

Replacing the G450, the new Gulfstream G500 was unveiled on the 14th of October 2014, first flew on the 18th of May 2015, received its FAA type certification and production certificate on the 20th of July 2018 and was first delivered on the 27th September 2018.

Manufacturer

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is an American aircraft company based in Savannah, Georgia and a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. The company that evolved into Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. started in the late 1950s when Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co., known for military aircraft production, developed a twin-turboprop business aircraft at its facilities in Bethpage, New York, called the Grumman Gulfstream I (G-I). Now, Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures, markets and services the latest business jet aircraft and has produced more than 2,000 aircraft since 1958.

Interesting facts

• The Gulfstream G500 is equipped with BAE Systems active sidesticks, the first civil aircraft to be so.
• With upgraded PW800 engines and innovative wing design, the aircraft provides industry-leading fuel efficiency

Cost

A new Gulfstream G500 costs $45.5 million (2019).

Charter rates

Charter rates for the Gulfstream G500 can vary greatly depending on the length of the journey you have planned, as well as the airports you decide to fly in and out of. If you would like to book a private charter flight on the Gulfstream G500, then why not contact our offices? For information on other private jets available for charter, browse our list of available private aircraft.

Wet-Lease rates

ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) Wet-Lease rates for the G500 can vary depending on the age of the aircraft, length of the lease term, the number of block hours being guaranteed and the average cycle ratio.